


Recovery: A Long, Lonely Road

by deebainwonderland



Series: Irondad Whumptober [21]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, whumptober2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 09:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21241931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deebainwonderland/pseuds/deebainwonderland
Summary: Peter Parker is an integral part of Tony's recovery. As in, the main part.#whumptober2019 #no.30 #recovery





	Recovery: A Long, Lonely Road

**Author's Note:**

> Post-Endgame but Tony lives.

Tony Stark was having an exceptionally hard time letting Peter Parker out of his sight. It had been two long months since Tony Snapped and righted the state of the world. One would think that this indescribable feeling of abject terror would subside. So far, no such luck.

To be fair, Peter had been amazingly understanding about the whole thing. It really must have been strange for him to fight alongside the old Tony in the morning and meet the entirely new Tony by the evening. A day, five years, what difference did it really make? Tony was a fundamentally changed man while Peter was still a sixteen-year-old kid. A sixteen-year-old kid who now had a rather extremely overprotective mentor.

The first few weeks had been ideal. Peter and May were happy to stay at the cabin while Tony recuperated. Tony spent blissful hours with Morgan curled into one side and Peter into the other. A small taste of heaven.

And yet, as it always must, reality settled back in. Peter and May moved back to the city so Peter could start the semblance of school that administrators had pulled together. May had gotten her old job back. Life began to return to normal. 

Tony hated it. 

Peter Parker was integral to his recovery and he needed the boy _ here _.

He petulantly told Pepper as much. She smiled tolerantly and gently reminded him that this was, in fact, what he wanted. A perfectly normal world that once again had Peter Parker in it. 

Tony knew she was right but that didn’t stop him from miss the kid like hell. 

As if thinking about him conjured Peter for real, Tony’s phone rang. 

Warmth blossomed in his chest. “Hey, kid. It’s kind of late. Something wrong?” 

“Nah, Mr. Stark,” came Peter’s warm voice. “Just felt like checking in before I went to bed. Long day, I guess.”

“Oh yeah?” Tony said, sitting down on the living room couch, thankful that his wife was busy putting their daughter down for the night. He wanted this one little moment to himself. “I hear high school life can be like that.” 

“For some of us anyway,” Peter replied and Tony could picture him lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling with his phone pressed to his ear. 

“What do you mean?”

There was a telling moment of silence. “Well, half my class is gone. Two months ago they were teenagers and how they’re like proper adults. With jobs and all. A couple of them are even married. And that’s not weird because they’re five years older than me. So, you know, it's a lot.” 

Tony briefly closed his eyes. The pain in his kid’s voice nearly sent his body into spasms. “I know, kid. I know it’s hard.”

“On the upside, this kid who used to cheat off my papers in math is like twenty-two and respectable now. So that's something,” Peter quipped, effortlessly navigating their conversation away from a dark place.

“Fuck, I miss you.” 

It was only when Tony heard the quick intake of breath that he realized that he said that out loud. The words were an inner monologue on repeat but he usually had a better handle on them. “Shit, kid, sorry. I didn’t mean to jump you with that.” 

“We saw each other last weekend,” Peter said cautiously after a moment. 

Had it really been that short of a time? To Tony, it felt like eons. “I know, sorry, Pete. Not sure where that came from. Ignore me, I’m just tired.”

“You’re always telling me that I should tell you how I’m really feeling,” Peter in a considerably warmer voice. “I think that should go both ways, Mr. Stark. I know you hold back because you’re worried about upsetting me. So I’m thinking that was probably one of the most honest things you’ve ever said to me.”

Tony let his head fall back against the couch, scrubbing a rough hand over his face. “When exactly did you get so smart anyway?” 

“I’m learning from the best.” 

Tony had to laugh at that. “Fuck, I miss you.” 

The two existed in silence for a while after the admission, listening to each other's breath. 

“Let me come get you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow’s a school night, Mr. Stark,” Peter said and Tony nearly wanted to rip out his hair at the regret in the boy’s voice. “I can’t come all the way out to the cabin.”

“Just dinner then,” Tony bargained, valiantly keeping the despair from his voice. He could only handle so much honesty a night. “We’ll go to one of those dive places you love so much. The greasier the better. Tell May I’ll have you home in plenty of time to do your homework.” 

“Ok,” Peter said and Tony could almost taste the smile return to his voice. Shuffling noises came across the line and Tony closed his eyes, imagining the boy moving around his little apartment room, getting ready for another long night of dreams and fear. His fingers twitched. 

“Great. Now go to sleep, kiddo. Responsibility and all that.” 

Peter laughed warmly. “Sure thing, Mr. Stark. I’ll see you tomorrow. Come pick me up from school, it’ll give us more time together.” 

“Shit, I love you.” 

“Did you know that the more honest you are the more you seem to swear?” 

Tony laughed. “What can I say, it's one of my finer qualities.” 

Sleep was invading Peter’s speech now and Tony hated himself a little for being the one the boy needed to call in order to sleep. He hated it just a touch. Not nearly as much as he probably should. “Goodnight, Mr. Stark. I love you too.” 

A moment later the dial tone sounded in Tony’s ear but he didn’t lower the phone. Keeping it pressed to his ear, Tony continued to study the ceiling, counting the logs as he calmed the panic bubbling in his chest from no longer being able to hear his kid’s breaths. 

Tomorrow would come. He would go into the city to see Peter and Tony would take one more step down the long, lonely road of recovery. 

A man could hope. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudo and/or comment if you enjoyed. Only one day of whumptober left!


End file.
